peacefulspirit
Colorado
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Joined: 09/14/2012
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smkettner wrote:I assume "dog house faucet" is a supply spigot with a cover over it to prevent freezing.
Here is some heat tape to look at:
http://www.morelectricheating.com I use the PSR series (top rt of pg)
Great site! Thanks. My shopping list is growing.
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SunTen
Kansas
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Joined: 11/21/2010
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Most RV parks will have heat tape on the water hookups.
For your water from the hookup to the RV I would suggest buying a heated water hose. I purchased one a couple of years ago when we started camping in cold temperatures and it was great.
So many of the units around us had heat tape and insulation wrapped around a regular hose. Some had other bulky ways of keeping the lines from freezing but the heated hose is easier to use. Just plug it in and you are set to go.
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pianotuna
Regina, SK, Canada
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Joined: 12/18/2004
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Hi,
To prevent fridge freeze up, I'm using a 40 watt "long life" bulb controlled by a Thermocube TC-3 (on at 1.6 C, off at 7.2 c, or 35 f to 45 f) in the exterior compartment.
![[image]](http://www.aartech.ca/images/cache/00ade9396780460a48969a84b72464d1.jpg)
The ambient temperature is -10 C (14 f) and the fridge is currently *off* (for worst case testing). The temperature at the rear of the fridge is -0.5 C (31 f). I have not blocked off the upper two vents, again for "worst case" testing.
Clearly for my weather temperature range (down to -40), I'll need to bump the wattage up some what on the bulb. Since it is thermostatically controlled, perhaps a 100 watt "rural service" bulb would be best (130 volts).
Regards, Don
My ride is a 28 foot Class C, 256 watts solar, 556 amp-hours of Telcom jars, 3000 watt Magnum hybrid inverter, Sola Basic Autoformer, Microair Easy Start.
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tiby
cleveland
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Joined: 07/07/2012
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Hi just reading this thread and thinking, I'm not sure my wife would not like to spend the winter camping ,it sounds great to me .
As a life long camper ( pop up as a kid and with my kids ) the wife and I now have a27'
TT .
We love it, looking to retire and it would be helpful if people included what brand trailer and features that you have.
My guess is that the average trailer on the road would create their own problems inn these winter conditions.
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SteveAE
Bend, Oregon
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Joined: 02/20/2012
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pianotuna wrote:Hi,
To prevent fridge freeze up, I'm using a 40 watt "long life" bulb controlled by a Thermocube TC-3 (on at 1.6 C, off at 7.2 c, or 35 f to 45 f) in the exterior compartment.
Clearly for my weather temperature range (down to -40), I'll need to bump the wattage up some what on the bulb. Since it is thermostatically controlled, perhaps a 100 watt "rural service" bulb would be best (130 volts).
Hey Piano,
Have you ever had your fridge freeze? If so, at what temperature?
It seems to me that 40 watts would have a tough time heating what is effectively a chimney. Maybe 100 watts would help, however; instead of heating the air, I wonder if you could heat the copper tubing directly? Just a thought.
Steve
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DanoT
Canada
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When it gets to about -18C/0F I block off the lower fridge vent (NEVER the top vent). I have never tried to add heat to the back of the fridge because this method has kept the fridge working even during brief periods of -40.
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pianotuna
Regina, SK, Canada
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Hi Steve,
Yes, I've had the fridge stop working from cold. At what exact temperature I can not say for certain. Dometic says to not operate the fridge below -6 C (21 f).
My "chimney" is somewhat restricted in cold weather because I have two fans in a "mask" at the top for summer use.
SteveAE wrote: Hey Piano,
Have you ever had your fridge freeze? If so, at what temperature?
It seems to me that 40 watts would have a tough time heating what is effectively a chimney. Maybe 100 watts would help, however; instead of heating the air, I wonder if you could heat the copper tubing directly? Just a thought.
Steve
* This post was
edited 11/16/12 09:38am by pianotuna *
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DanoT
Canada
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pianotuna wrote:Hi Steve,
Yes, I've had the fridge stop working from cold. At what exact temperature I can not say for certain. Dometic says to not operate the fridge below -6 C (21 f).
My "chimney" is somewhat restricted in cold weather because I have two fans in a "mask" at the top for summer use.
SteveAE wrote: Hey Piano,
Have you ever had your fridge freeze? If so, at what temperature?
It seems to me that 40 watts would have a tough time heating what is effectively a chimney. Maybe 100 watts would help, however; instead of heating the air, I wonder if you could heat the copper tubing directly? Just a thought.
Steve
Sorry, I'm calling BS on Dometic saying not to operate a propane fridge below -6C. My Oakland 5th wheel was marketed as "the four season rv" and I have used it on average of 80 days per year since 1992 as my ski chalet at Sun Peaks Resort with temps at -6C or colder for months on end. BTW Norcold and Dometic are the only rv fridge manufacturers and sometimes build units for each other on contract as I have had a Dometic off brand fridge (Servel, I think) with a Norcold cooling unit in it.
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pianotuna
Regina, SK, Canada
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Hi DanoT,
Then I suggest you email them and ask them. This is what they sent me in response to my inquiry about -10 C.
"Dometic does not offer a safe low temp operating range. The major chemical in the cooling unit is water. When ever the temps are that cold for a prolonged period of time, damage is possible due to lack of circulation within the cooling."
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DanoT
Canada
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I thought the cooling fluid was ammonia, so maybe they have changed the formula.
Something is goofy here. They refer to water as a "major chemical in the cooling unit". Huh? Is water a chemical?
So if you don't run the fridge (don't add heat) in very cold temps, won't all the water in the cooling unit freeze. Maybe you should ask Dometic if you need to store the fridge in a heated garage or maybe you need to drain the water. Not.
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